YUGOSLAV CROWN PRINCE ADAMANT ABOUT HIS NEUTRALITY IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

Belgrade, 19 November -FoNet News Agency, Belgrade: “I support all politicians who respect democratic principles”, Yugoslav Crown Prince Aleksandar Karadjordjevic has said in an interview with FoNet on the eve of the Serbian presidential elections, noting it is very important that citizens should know he is neutral...

"It is true there were problems about the [29 September] election of the Serbian president but all of this is a normal, new democratic process which had begun on 5 October 2000 [when former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic was ousted]," Karadjordjevic explained, noting that even after the failure of the last presidential election [due to low turnout], stability in Serbia was preserved.

"There was no crisis. There were various political opinions," Karadjordjevic added, noting the importance of the re-run election scheduled for 8 December.

"The system, therefore, is functioning, and it is under constant review... We are now a democratic country in which the level of democratization is growing," Karadjordjevic emphasized.

"It is very important for our people to know that I am neutral," the crown prince said, adding that he supported "all politicians who act upon democratic principles".

"The main ones are those for whom the people vote. However, in that respect, I demand responsibility from those who are presidential candidates to respect democracy and take all citizens into account regardless of their religion and ethnic affiliation," Karadjordjevic added.

Asked about the constitutional charter of the state union of Serbia and Montenegro, Karadjordjevic replied that one should, after the [parliamentary] elections in Montenegro, speed up an agreement about the future.

"It is very important that everyone should work together while paying due respect to both Montenegro and Serbia".